Snow Leopard

Snow leopards prefer steep, rugged terrain with cliffs, ridges, gullies, and slopes interspersed with rocky outcrops. In Mongolia and Tibet the cats may inhabit relatively flat or rolling terrain if sufficient cover is present. In productive habitat in Nepal, a snow leopard’s home range varies from 12 to 39 km² (4.6 – 15 square miles). But in Mongolia with its open terrain and lower ungulate density, it is 500 km² or more (over 200 square miles). Densities range from less than 0.1 to 10 (or more) individuals per 100 km² (about 39 square miles) but current knowledge is insufficient for generating a reliable range-wide population estimate. The cat’s habitat is among the least productive of the world’s rangelands due to low temperatures, high aridity and harsh climatic conditions.

Captive Panthera Uncia photo in winter

The snow leopard’s powerful build allows it to scale great steep slopes with ease. Its hind legs give the snow leopard the ability to leap six times the length of its body. A long tail provides balance and agility and also wraps around the resting snow leopard as protection from the cold.
For millennia, this magnificent cat was the king of the mountains. The mountains were rich with their prey such as blue sheep, Argali wild sheep, ibex, marmots, pikas and hares. Snow leopards are found in 12 countries—including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, and Mongolia—but their population is dropping